


It was always you

by Captain_of_multiple_ships



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:42:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23212705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_of_multiple_ships/pseuds/Captain_of_multiple_ships
Summary: 4 years after his wife Alice died in childbirth cec realises that he has always been in love with Bert.
Relationships: Albert "Bert" Johnson/Cecil "Cec" Yates
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	It was always you

The sound of small footsteps running down the hallway woke cec up from his sleep. He sat up just as the bedroom door swung open and he was suddenly tackled backwards by poppy and pip. He started tickling them and smiled when he heard their adorable laughter. "Dad, dad.. s..sstop daaadddy" poppy cried through laughter. "Ok ok" he laughed. "Why don't I make us all some breakfast before we get ready for our picnic with uncle bert, aunt fisher and aunt dot?" "Can we have pancakes daddy?" "Sure we can pip" "no daddy you don't make them as nice as uncle bert!" "Hey! I'll have you know I make great pancakes pops!" "Welll yess daddy but uncle bert makes them better! Please can uncle bert make us pancakes?" "Ya come on dad call uncle bert! Please?" Cec sighed, he couldn't say no to his babies and they knew it. He nodded, the twins smiled and started clapping.

They jumped up and ran out of the room and down the hallway towards the kitchen. Cec smiled and got out of bed. He walked over to his draws and pulled out a pair of pyjama bottoms. Cec walked into the hallway and grabbed the phone. Ring.Ring.Ring. "hello" bert grunted, "whatcha callin so early for cec" Cec laughed "how did ya know it was me bert?" "Well obviously its ya! Who else phones me this early ah?" "Haha I guess you're right" "I know! It's only ya that calls this early due to the kids. What do the little rascules want today then?" "They want your special pancake" cec laughed "apparently I dont make them good as ya do" "Well of course ya dont" Cec could hear the smirk in Bert's voice and gave a small smile. "So you'll come and make um?" "Anything for them kiddos" "be there in 10" the phone then cut out. Cec smiled, he couldn't be more thankful for bert, he has been his rock since Alice died.

**Flashback**

The birth had been so traumatic for Alice as she went into labour premature and Cec couldn't get her to the hospital in time. She died from blood loss just after arriving at the hospital. Cec was heartbroken and didnt know what to do with himself. He had just become a dad but he had no clue what to do with two premature babies. How was he going to cope? He didnt even know how to change a nappy let alone how to feed a baby. They were just so tiny and precious. Cec was lost in thought looking at his little babies in their incubators when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw his best friends face, "How am I meant to take care of them bert" he sobbed. "Hey now we'll manage, we have miss fisher and dot and mr butler and I can move in with ya and help with the night feeds and nappies changes, my cousins had babies when I was growing up so I know how to look after them. You aren't alone cec. You have your family around you." Cec sobbed into Bert's chest, how did he get so lucky to have his little makeshift family.

**End of Flashback**

True to his word Bert moved in with Cec and showed him how to care for the little ones. He was there for their first smile, he was the one tickling poppy when she first laughed.

**Flashback**

He was so excited when she laughed for the first time, he ran her down to the bedroom and woke cec up to show him. He shock cec awake, "Cec! Cec! Wake up would ya, you've gotta see this!" Cec woke up and groggily wiped his eyes "bert? What is it? What's wrong! Is pips cough playing up again?" "No no sorry to startle you! But listen!" He held little 3 month old poppy up to look at her dad and started to tickle her again. She started laughing again and he cooed at her little smiling face. Cec's eyes lit up and he laughed "omg she's laughing! I can't believe she's laughing!" "I know! I was just getting her back into her pyjamas after changing her and I was tickling her like I always do and she just started laughing!" "Ya ya clever little girl ah!" He cooed at poppy while continuing to tickle her belly. Cec looked at the two of them and his heart melted. He couldn't believe that his kids were doing ok and that bert who always played tough was completely besotted with the little ones. They had him wrapped round their little fingers and he knew it. He loved doing the night feeds and cec sometimes got up to wee and would hear bert reading to the little one who was awake while sat in the rocking chair. He truly was thankful for bert and wouldnt know what to do without him. Bert was there for every little mile stone.

**End of Flashback**

He only moved out quite recently. He never actually discussed it with cec he just came in one day and said "listen mate I'm gunna move back to my old place next week." " what why!? This is your home!" " nah it isn't and I've been here long enough now, the kids are healthy and settled and starting school soon and it's time for me to go back home, this is your family." Cec couldn't believe it "I thought we were family bert! I dont know what's gotten into ya!" He stormed off upstairs to hurt to even look at Bert any more.

He didn't speak to him for a week after he moved out, he only started talking to him again when the little ones kept asking for uncle bert to take them to the park to play football. They went right back to how they were before and it was never brought up again.

Cec was still in thought when he heard the knock on the door. "Uncle bert!" The kids screamed running towards the door. Cec ran after them and pulled it open after unlocking it. "There's my little rascules!" Bert shouted tickling them. Cec smiled at the scene in front of him. The girls loved their uncle bert and he loved them. "Come make us pancakes uncle bert!" They said dragging him into the kitchen. He smiled at cec over his shoulder "ya coming man, I'm gunna need an assistant!" He laughed.

The morning flew by, after pancakes were made, Bert helped dress the girls as they liked him to pick out their outfits for the day. Pip was wearing a long sleeve green and pink striped top with black shorts that reached her knees and poppy was wearing a blue dress with little roses printed on the front pocket.

After they were dressed bert braided their hair, as much as cec tried he just couldn't get the hang of it. Bert would always smile at him and say that he was getting better which always made him feel better about it. Once their hair was done they helped Cec and Bert make some jam sandwiches ready for their picnic with Miss Fisher and Dot.

Arriving at the park the girls dragged Bert off to play football while Cec was left to carry the picnic basket over to the spot where Miss Fisher and Dot were sat. Just as Cec reached them he saw Hugh running over with a scarf in his hands. "I wish you wouldnt wear scarves without a clip dottie, I'm always having to chase it for you" "but I dont like to wear a clip hugh as it feel too tight" he gently sat down and kissed her cheek "you're lucky I love you you know dot" "I love you too mr Hugh Collins" dot smiled. Miss Fisher took the basket from Cec and shuffled over to let him sit down. "Thank God you're here to save me from the love birds!" "Aww I think they're cute miss" he laughed. She winked at him "they aren't half bad" he laughed again and settled down.

He looked out across the park and saw his little girls playing football with Bert. He was playing goal and as poppy kicked the ball he pretended it hit him and he fell to the floor. The girls cheered and jumped on him, then they began laughing and trying to squirm away as he tickled them. Bert had his head thrown back and was laughing wildly at them.

Cec was startled when miss Fisher spoke "when are you two going to realise you're in love!" Cec spluttered "What! Who's in love!?" "Well you and Bert of course!" Cec squirmed uncomfortably "we ain't in love! What gave you that idea miss!?" "Oh please! You look at him like Hugh looks at Dot, like you're a love sick puppy!" "Hey! I dont look like a love sick puppy" said Hugh. "Yeah you kind of do actually Hugh" replied dottie. Cec sat up straight "I dont look at bert like that! I was just smiling at my girls miss!" "Uh huh of course cec. You look like that even when the girls aren't around you know." "Like when miss?" "Just last week when dot and hugh took the girls to the cinema while I was giving you an errand to run, bert made a joke and laughed and you had the exact same look on your face." Cec blushed "nah I didnt" "yes you did cec and when you were looking at the postcard I handed and you were running your hand through your hair bert was giving you the same look" Cec's blush darken, "I think you're mistaken miss". Just then Pip came running over and asked cec to join in football, he was on her team and they were playing against Poppy and Bert.

The day was rather pleasant and the family all played and ate until the sun began to set. The girls had started to get tired and Pip had fallen asleep on Bert's lap. Poppy wasn't far behind her sister so the boys decided to take them home. As bert was walking to the car holding a sleeping pip, and holding a slightly sleepy poppys hand miss fisher whispered to Cec "just tell him how you feel cec and I promise you will both be much happier". Cec shook his head and followed after bert.

As they got back to Cec's Bert went straight into the girls room and put Pip into bed, quickly but carefully changing her into her pyjamas. He also helped Poppy change into her and helped her into bed. "Can you read me a story like you use to uncle bert?" Bert smiled at her "of course I can my little munchkin". He got a few pages into alice and wonderland and Poppy was fast asleep. Bert placed the book back on its shelf and gently kissed her head making sure she was tucked in. As he stood up he see Cec leant against the door frame softly smiling.

Cec turned and led Bert to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and pulled out two beers, removed the top and handed one to Bert, his hand slightly lingering on the bottle after he grabbed it. It was silent for a few minutes, not an awkward silence but a comfortable one. "Miss Fisher made an observation today" "Oh ya. What was that then?" "She had this strange idea that we're in love " Cec laughed gently. "What?' Bert replied slightly chocking on his beer. Cec reached out and rubbed his back. "Ya she said apparently I look like a love sick puppy round ya" bert laughed gently "is that so?" "Wait you said she thought we were both in love, why would she think that if she only says you look at me like that?" Cec blushed "well, she actually said we both look at each other like love sick puppies, kind of like how hugh and dot look at each other". Now bert blushed and looked away.

Cec reached out and gently touched his hand "I told he she was crazy and no one as good as ya could look at someone like me like that" he said gently. Bert snapped his head round "what do ya mean someone like ya? Ya a great man cec, you're kind and funny, a good father and you aren't too hard on the eyes" he replied softly. Cec looked up at him and saw that he really meant it. " ya really think that? I always thought you were too good for me ya know. I use to think maybe you liked me but then you said you wanted to move out and I thought maybe you realised that I wasnt any good." "What? No, I moved out because I was falling in love with ya you idiot! I couldn't stand being around you acting like a happy family when I know ya didnt want me like that." Cec laughed gently and gently moved his thumb over the back of Bert's hand. "Its always been you Bert" he leaned in slightly and Bert followed his lead until there was a small gap between them.

Cec closed his eyes and finally closed the gap, their lips met and slowly moved together, Bert's hands reached out and threading into Cec's hair and Cec rested his hand on Bert's hips. After a few minutes Bert slowly pulled back. "Its always been you for me too cec" he said against his lips. "Move in with us again" he asked gently. "I would love too" he replied with a sweet gently kiss. Cec broke away this time and gently grabbed Bert's hand pulling him towards the bedroom. That night they slept peacefully cuddled up together in the arms of the person they loved with all their heart.


End file.
